Cutterhead guard for vertical spindle shapers



June 16, 1953 w 5, BROWN 2,642,104

CUTTERHEAD GUARD FOR VERTICAL SPINDLE SHAPERS Filed April 11, 1950 34a IN VEN TOR. 3 Mum/w f. 5R M ATTORNEY. I

Patented June 16, 1953 CUTTERHEAD GUARD FOR VERTICAL SPINDLE SHAPERS William E. Brown, Santa Ana, Calif.

Application April 11, 1950, Serial No. 155,339

1 Claim.

This invention relates to the class of power driven tools and is directed particularly to improvements in guards for cutter members.

The present invention is directed particularly to a guard mechanism for use in connection with vertical spindle shaper machines and it has for its principal objectto provide a guard element which covers and shields the operator from the rotary cutters or knives of the shaper and which is so designed that a piece of work may be easily advanced to the cutters without interference from the guard member, the latter having its position shifted'by the work piece so long as the work piece is being operated upon by the cutters and moving back into guarding position as soon as the work piece is removed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a guard or shield for use in association with a shaper machine either of the type used for commercial work in mills or the like where a work guiding fence is not employed or for use in connection with shapers of the character designed for home work shop use where a work guiding fence is employed, the guard device being of a changeable form or construction for use with either type of machine.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of a shaper knife guard constructed vention and showing in broken lines different positions of a piece of work advancing to and passing under the guard and the corresponding positions of the guard.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

2 gaged in the arm is the extension arm l3. At the end of the arm 12 is a suitable clamp collar [4 by means of which the extension [3 is secured in adjusted position.

Formed integral with the end of the extension arm I3 is a hollow T head It, the transverse portion of which arm forms a guide sleeve it which is disposed vertically and extending through this sleeve 16 is the vertically positioned tubular guide ll, the top end of which is closed by a cap Ha.

The lower end of the guide H is open and has slidably extended thereinto a post 18, the lower end of which post is reduced from opposite sides to form a flat ear it having an aperture 25 therethrough.

The tubular guide ll has formed therein the longitudinal slot 2: and extended through this slot from the post is is a guide pin or screw 22, the outer end of which has an aperture 23 therethrough for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

The numeral 2t designates the guard element proper which comprises a wooden ring or annulus 25 having a rounded bottom edge as indicated at 26. This annulus has the large central opening 2? which is of suificient diameter to receive the rotating cutter head II as shown in Figure 2 when the ring is placed in resting position uponthe work'table iii.

Encircling the top of the ring 25 is a guard frame of annular form which is designated 28.

a This guard frame 28 is of angular cross section in accordance with the present in-,

Figure 3 is a sectional detail taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the draw ing the numeral l0 designates a portion of the work table of a shaper 7 piece of work to be cut or shaped is placed for movement into the rotary cutting knives which, as is well known, operate upon a vertical rotating spindle, the knives being shown in broken lines at H, in Figure 2.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a suitable support, not shown, at

7 one side of the machine table, for a horizontal tubular arm l2, the free end of which arm is positioned above the table adjacent to the rotarycutter or knife head H and slidaloly. en-

machine, upon which the as shown in Figure 3, having the horizontal top flange 28a and the outside encircling flange 2822, within which the top part of the guard ring 25 is received. The top flange 28a of the reinforcing frame rests upon the top of the ring 25 as illustrated.

The wooden annulus 25 together with the reinforcing frame 28 is divided into two unequal parts on a chordal line 29. The smaller of the two parts is designated 29a while the larger one of the two parts is designated 29?).

The horizontal flange portion of the frame covering the smaller section or part 29a of the guard, carries the two spaced upstanding flanges 30 which are in parallel relation with the division line 29 and between these flanges, the reduced extension E9 of the post i8 is positioned and there is passed through apertures 3! of the flanges, are aligned with the aperture 2a of the lower end portion of the post it, a pivot pin 32.

Also extending through and connecting the ears 3!}, and having a parallel relation with the pin 32,-is the smaller pin 33 which passes through an expansion spring 3%. One end of this spring, designated 34a, bears down upon the top of the smaller part of the guard while the other end of the spring which is of substantial length, extends upwardly as indicated at 3412 and passes through the hereinbefore referred to aperture 23 in the head of the bolt or-s'crew 22. As shown the spring 34 is biased so that the end 34a will constantly press down upon the top of the guard member to constantly urge it into contact with the work table I0.

Also pressing the guard member downwardly into contact with the work table, is a coil spring 35 which is housed in the upper end of the tubular guide i1 and has one end pressed against the top of the post l8 while the other end presses upwardly against the underside of the cap Ma.

The two sections of the ring and its supporting frame are secured together by side straps 3B which position against the curved outer sides of the flange 28b of the reinforcing frame and are secured by machine screws 31' as illustrated. In addition to the straps 39 top connecting straps 38 extend across the division line 29 as shown in Figure 2 and are secured by screws 39 which are threaded into the horizontal flange portion of the guard ring reinforcing frame.

In furniture factories, factory shops and the like use is made of large professional which consist of a relatively large table through the top of which extend spindles to which are attached the shaper blade heads. These shapers do not employ fences, guides or guards of any kind. The reason why fences are not employed upon such shapers is that the machines are used to provide ornamental edging to articles of irregular shape as for example circular table tops and the like and fences would be a hindrance or would prevent the proper use of the machine, Skilled operators apply the edge of the piece of Work to the cutter or cutters and guide the work by hand and as a result the accident ratio is very high because of the lack of suitable guards.

The device of the present invention as illustrated, is designed to completely encircle the cutter head as shown in Figure 2, on machines of the type above referred to. By reason of the novel mounting and also novel form of the wood guard ring as shown in Figure 2, the piece of work can be readily slipped under the guard and advanced to the cutters without endangering the operator.

Figure 1 illustrates the manner in which the guard rides up onto and over a piece of work. Such work piece is here designated W and shown upon the table it at the right hand side of the guard in what might be termed the starting position where the front edge of the work is, as indicated at a, contacting the curved underedge of the guard. A second position for the advancing edge of the work is indicated at b and the partly elevated position of the guard shown in broken lines, the bottom edge of the ring being designated b. Farther to the left of the work edge position b, a third position for the advancing edge of the work is shown and designated 0. When the work has reached this position it will be seen that the guard is fully elevated and has returned to its horizontal position but is resting upon the top of the work instead of upon the top of the work table. The work is then continued in its line of travel beneath the guard until the cutting operation is completed whereupon the guard ring will be forced down by the spring 35 to the top of the table. The pivot pin 32 allows for the necessary oscillation of the guard ring and the spring 34 functions to hold the elevated side of the ring firmly against the work while the latter is being forced under the ring and also assists in returning the guard ring to its horizontal position on top of the work.

In shaping machines of smaller construction such as are employed in home work shops, use is made of a two-part fence consisting of two upright members resting upon the top of the work table and having a spaced end to end relation, the rotary cutter head being disposed between the spaced ends of the fence sections.

By the provision of the guard ring in the two parts shown, connected by the tie straps 39 and 38, it will be readily apparent that the larger part may be readily removed so that the smaller part can be properl positioned in guarding relation across the front of the cutter and straddling the space between the spaced ends of the fence sections. It will be readily apparent that the ends of the smaller section of the guard ring will be adjacent to the ends of the fence sections and that this smaller part of the guard will be shifted by the advancing work piece in exactly the same manner as when'the entire ring is used.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that there is provided in the present invention, a relatively simple guard device which may be used effectively upon either of the two types of machines referred to and which will give full protection to the operator without, at the same time, interfering in any way with the performance of the work.

I claim:

In a guard structure for the cutting head of a vertical spindle shaper, an annular member of wood or the like to rest upon the work table of the shaper in encircling relation with respect to the cutting head, a supporting arm extending horizontally above the work table, a tubular guide carried at the inner end of the arm, a cap closing the top end of the guide, a post telescoped in the lower end of the guide, a pivot connection between the lower end of the post and the top side of the annular member, an expansion spring housed within said guide above said post and acting to press the annular member into contact with the surface of the work table and oppose an upward movement of the post and member, a second spring mounted on said annular member at one side of the pivot connection of said post to bias the forward side of the annular member against any tendency to rise from its contact with the surface of the work table, the said tubular guide having a verticalslot adjacent its lower end, and a guide pin projecting outward through said slot from said post and having a vertical aperture in its outer end, said second spring having a vertical portion passing upward through said aperture for sliding movement therein during the rise of the annular member caused by the feed of the work to the cutting head.

WILLIAM E. BROWN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 260,974 Grill July 11, 1882 694,835 Cook Mar. 4, 1902 822,636 Steer June 5, 1906 883,148 Sanders Mar. 24, 1908 925,114 Loefiler June 15, 1909 1,001,391 Hall et al Aug. 22, 1911 1,025,866 Erickson May '7, 1912 1,339,121 Mofiatt May 4, 1920 1,592,190 Erickson July 13, 1926 2,054,518 Ocenasek Sept. 15, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1 8,732 Great Britain Sept. 7, 1908 

